TURKISH TREASURE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 36, 11 August 1923, Page 21

TURKISH TREASURE

HIDDEN IN NAVARINO BAY

„ ENGINEERS ATTEMPT TO RE COVER GOLD & JEWELS

THE BATTLE OF NAVARINO

RECALLED.

The blus waters d! Navarino Bay glistened., in the afternoon sunlight arid tho Tutco-Egyptian fleet of 116 boats, inoluding 81 figWsjts ships, lay quietly at anchor- They were arranged iv thei form of * great crescent, the gorgeous banners of their commanders forming brilliant spots-of colour as the Allied fleet of British, French, and Bussian warships sailed into the harbour, their decks cleared for action.

There was scurrying on board the Oriental ships, but no pronounced hostile move as thevAllied men-of-war approached. Then Sir Edward Oodrington, admiral of the Allied fleet, sent a boat to ask one of the Turkish ships to move so that one of his ships might take up a more convenient ■■-position. ' ;' . -..-.. ■ .

The Turks; misunderstood the approach o! the boat, and one of their small fireships opened fire. It was a signal; in a moment "the Allied ships belched. smoke, cannon tore into the rigging of the Oriental oraft. Another moment and the bay resounded to the thunder ofguns. The battle of Navarino.was on. within three hours tho Turoo-Egyptisn fleet wm destroyed, 6000 men were killed, and 10,000,000 dollars' worth of gold, jewels, and other fabulous booty lay at the bottom of the bay. The smoke cleared away slowly. ; . 1 .

All this happened on an afternoon in 1827, states a correspondent of the "San Francisco Chronicle." Since then, for almost'a century, the, treasure of the Turks and Egyptians has lain in Davy Jones's elusive locker, quietly, while battles shifted to other parts of the earth, nations rose *nd fell, and the world moved on to new ideas and heroics, and seemed to forget the swift and glittering tragedy of Navarino Bay. ,

But gold is gold, and- fabulous jewels »re even "more alluring, and men can't forget them even though they seem gone forever. ... . > ......

, Now comes 1923 and an English syndi- . cate of engineers -with * new and spec: tacular proposal. These soientifio treasure- ' hunters have bought a salvaging concession from the Greek Government and have ; financed an expedition to raise the Nava- ' rino 'fleet and regain the sunken wealth. Their plan cam* to publio notice re■cently when Court proceedings arose in London over a dispute relating to the rights to the concession. That has now been settled, and the Englishmen are on their way,,to Navarino. .-... „;.. „'. ■, The raising of the- Turkish"* armada will surpass in magnitude any other of man's : attempt to force the sea to disgorge trea- :. sure. It had been estimated that 1,000,000 'dollars in money alone lies in the holds of the sunken shipa, 5,000,000 dollars in • gold, "silver,"and copper" plate,- and millions in jewels, guns, timber, lead, and other booty. ' A conservative estimate lump 3 the value at 10,000,000 dollars. Most of this precious cargo went down in 62 of the largest Turco-Egyptian shins. These ships formed a floating oity-of Oriental splendour. Ibrahim Pasha and the other : pashas who commanded the fleet under 1 him loved lnxnry *nd nirrdunded therai selves irith it. Their ship quarters were j marvellously ■ carved and gilded, the walls ; lined with coetly tapestries. The rarest \ wines < and perfumes were carried, and ,' jewelledl costumes- fit' to excite the envy of an ancient Egyptian king. . • -. j All this splendour dipped quietly out l«f sight and sow rests in anywhere from 75 to 100 .feet of i*ater p the varying ;depth '.of Navarino'Bay." In order to raise, the water-logged ships to the top the most ' skilful., engineering' will be required. By | soundings, and. by the aid of the_divere I the precise location of the ships will be' .trietermined. Than grappling iron*, topes, olamps, chains, and ail manner of.mod- ) era salvaging instruments will be used to : dislodge the sunken ships from the mud . and powerful engines will draw them to" '-, the surface where the water will be pumped out '. ■

When the first Turkish frigate floatsits aides and decks covered with the sea life that has attached iteelf during the centey—wiat will ba the thoughts of the adveoturer-Boientuts as they open doors and penetrate staterooms closed since the tragic day of battle? Only the sound of water dripping' from crevices will be heard. Will the «ea's ravages have left any feeling' of the personalities of the former oeoupante? Will coins, for instance, or jewels, be found on tables .where they were left oaieleselywhan. theirowners fled in' haste? To imagine the scene vividly it v neceieary to 7 turn back a page of history and see the battle of Navarino. :.•-.:

Navarino; the walled town, on the coast o£ Greece, is a. citadel situated on a high rock-and possessing a. lower town. The bay lies below it, a keen, hard, Greoian blue reflecting the sky. At the entrance to the land-locked harbour is the long, narrow island of Sphagia; • the ancient' Sphacteria, scene of the famous blockade and defeat of the Spartan* in 425 S.C. -

In 1827 the Greeks rose in revolt against the Turks, and when the Sultan oalled on Egypt for aid a combined fleet of Turkish and Egyptian warships was sent to, Navanno Bay. Tho whole spectacle aroused tho "moral; indignation," as the old historians put it, of the three Christian countries of Great /Britain, France, and Russia, and they Sft 'Out for.ethical and- trade, reasons, to make -the Sultan acknowledge the independence of Greece. They, didn't, declare' war, but they 'sent Admiral Cbdrington to Nayarino with 20 large: warships' Carrying ths>. flags of the three nations.. - • ■;, i -/ ■ "' ■.- :

Codrmgton^ who had won .medals under Nelson at Trafalgar, lined hie ships up outside the harbour and at once got into spirited communication with Ibrahim i*asna, the Turkish admiral, who answered that he must hare time' to pass all notes .along to the Sultan. ' Time passed ™J"e,' according to British authority, "the Turks committed outrages against defenceless inhabitants of the country adjacent to Kavarino and altogether evaded and trifled with the communications sent oy the British commander."

Came tho day, when Codrington grew restive and ordered his 20. ships cleared for action. They raised sail (for this was before ,the days of "tea kettles." as the old manners contemptuously called steamships), and Set ; out for tho. harbour, with the Apia, the 'admiral's "flagship of SO guns, liiding.. Nsvarino harbour is only six miles in Circumference; and the entrance, 600 varda wide, hid fortresses,, held by tho Turks on etch side. The Turkish guns did not spoak, however, 3 Dd the Allied fleet went in unmolested. The visit was evidently unexpected, for Admiral Ibrahim. .Pasha •was ashore. • ; -''...

Then Codrington figuratively placed a chip on his shoulder by sanding a small bott to-request one of the Turkish ships to move. The device worked and one of the tiny Turicisb fireshipe opened fire by mistake. ... ■■

So at' 2 p.m. the fireworks began. Codrington: justified himself afterward by explaining that his ships did not at first fire on- the Turkish ships which held aloof. However, it soon became a free-for-all sea. brawl, with the mizzen-mast of the* British flagship shot away, and th 9 sen., alivo with wreckage and drowning men.: The Turks and Egyptians losr. 6000 out of 18,000 men while the losses of the European allies .were 177 lolled. At 6 p.m. Greece was on its way.^to independence. '.~ '•..■'.:._..

Said onfe Teport: VAJtbongh at an enormous disadvantage iv tize. of ships, tho Turks --fought with their iisual courage." Said Codiington in his^ official' letter: "Out of; a fleet of SI (Turco-Egyptian) ships of war, 6njy one frigate and 15 smaller vesstls are iv a state ever again to be put to sea." :..;•.■.•

The truth was that while tho Orientals had 116 ships in all, including the very

small ones, only three were ships of the Hue and able to put up much of a fight. Thus the first two acts in the drama of Navarino's. sunken treasure trove. Now for the third and conoluding out when tho lost millions will bo restored by modern science.